ProjectonIncreasing Mint Readership

- Saroj Singh Sinhgad Institute of Mangement

Declaration

I, Saroj Singh, student of MBA Semester III of the 2013-2015 batch at Sinhgad Institute of Management Studies MBA affiliated to the University of Pune, do hereby declare that the project titled, Study of Awareness about Mint among various Segments with Reference to Thane Region at HT Media has been done by me under the guidance of Prof. Raju Giri for the summer internship project as per the norms prescribed by the University of Pun.

I further declare that the information presented in the project is true and original to the best of my knowledge.

Place: Date:Saroj Singh

AcknowledgementMy training period had been a great learning experience and it wouldnt have been without the support of various people, who helped me to accomplish my project successfully. I express my sincere thanks to all those who had guided me in one or the other way.I would like to thank Mr HARSHIT DESAI (Associate Manager-Marketing), Hindustan Times-MINT for giving me an opportunity to prove my worthiness in the Marketing Department of the company and providing me with an insight into the marketing world. I would also like to thank all members of the Marketing Department and my team members who at all times treated me as a part of the department and not outside trainee.I would also like to thank my College Mentor, Prof. Raju Giri of Sinhgad Institute of Management-MBA. His advice and assistance has been very vital for the completion of the project.Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for being ever so encouraging and supportive throughout the project.

ContentsSr. No.TopicPage No.

1Executive summary

2Introduction

3Business Environment

4Organization Profile

5Task Undertaken

6Research Methodology

7Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation

8Contribution to the Host Organization

9References

10Annexure

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In Todays competitive environment of business information plays a vital role in everyones life. Business is dependent on the market information to survive and to earn goodwill. To gather business news ,business and financial newspapers is the best source. My project contains the history and introduction of the newspaper industry in India and some problems faced by it. It has complete background of HT Media ltd. and the background of Mint newspaper which is a part of HT Media ltd.This project report titled Study of Awareness About Mint Among various segments to Thane Region At HT Media has been prepared after successful completion of internship at HT Media Ltd-Mumbai. In my study I tried to increase the readership for the Mint Business daily and tried to expand the Sales Territories for HT Media and find out how effective and successful the new brand image has been in pulling the potential customer towards brand.The project deals with increasing MINT awareness and Sales for MINT. The survey was conducted through structured questionnaire among the customers of MINT in Mumbai Corporate Areas to study their reading habits, preference among the financial newspapers, business newspapers factors influencing preference of newspaper, section read the most, customer satisfaction and to find the profile of the MINT newspaper customers.After analyzing the data conclusions were drawn related to various facets of Positioning Strategy and hope that it will be helpful to MINT for further improving its positioning and customer services. In this project I have tried my best to apply my theoretical knowledge to the practical world so that I can understand the market in most effective way. The details regarding the findings, recommendations, limitations can be found in further sections of the report.The study helped me in learning how to sell a product and also the practical aspect of working in an organization

Introduction

This study was done for the sales and research for increasing the readership of the financial daily MINT newspaper. I visited more than 150 organizations mostly in the thane region. For some duration I also visited some areas in Central Mumbai to target certain companies. During this study I had the opportunity to visit one of the print houses of the newspaper in Airoli. I was able to see the machinery used for printing. There are two words that come into the mind when you talk about newspaper sales. Those are 'Readership' and 'Circulation'. The difference between the two is as follows Readership: Total number of readers of a publication.Circulation: Number of copies sold of a publication.So clearly these words differ widely in their meaning. The number of readership is usually greater than the circulation number because a newspaper can be read by more than one person. So a newspaper company needs to keep the readership in mind and then target the audience.Data base management is an important tool in the marketing process while marketing process is an organizations coping with its environment. Kotler defines it as the process identifying, analyzing, choosing and exploiting marketing opportunities of fulfill the companys mission objective. More specially it consists of identifying and analyzing marketing opportunities, segmenting and selecting target markets, developing a competitive marketing mixed strategy and designing marketing management system for planning and control information and marketing personnel. The market may be segmented into areas and the segment chosen is called the target market. The company must examine the wants of that market and the position of the competitors. This is the realm of market mix. The company can learn through marketing research, what customers are primarily interested in. It helps the company to take decisions related to marketing accordingly.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

The Indian Media industry

The Indian media industry mainly consists of Print Media, TV, Satellite TV, Radio and Films. India being a vast country the penetration of this media is very slow. But the amount of revenue generated from this industry is very huge. The amount of expenditure that India incurs on advertisements is very low compared to other developed countries, but the potential to generate revenue from advertisements in India is huge. According to a report by PWC even if India reaches the global average the revenue generated would be double estimated at about INR 132 billion. The revenue generated from media industry in India can be estimated from the following table.CountryAd spend as % of GDP

India0.34

China0.55

Philippines0.72

Singapore1.12

New Zealand1.38

Thailand1.6

The different media in India are as follows:Broadcasting and cable televisionThe broadcasting and cable TV industry revenue for 2010 was estimated at $7.2 billion (Rs 36,000 crores), up 13.3 per cent from the previous year, mainly driven by a 19 per cent growth in advertising revenue. The industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12 per cent to reach $11.4 billion (Rs 57,000 crores) by 2014. The continued digitization of distribution infrastructure, the demand for regional and niche content, and the possibility of growth in TV penetration will drive growth in this segment.

Television distributionIndia is the second largest pay TV market in the world, with 108 million subscribers and 48 per cent reach to Indian households. The TV distribution industry is dominated by analog cable, which is highly fragmented and includes about 60,000 LCOs, and 1,000 multi-system operators (MSOs). However, fierce competition among DTH operators, as well as a recent government policy mandating digitization of cable TV, has driven the growth of digital TV.

PublishingThe Indian publishing industry revenue for 2010 was estimated at $4.7 billion (Rs 23,500 crores), and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent to reach $7.1 billion (Rs 35,500 crores) by 2014. A low-readership penetration of 30 per cent compared with a literacy rate of 74 per cent underscores the potential for further growth for publishing in India.

NewspapersWhile in a number of international markets, the newspaper industry is faced with a declining readership because of digital media, the print industry in India continues to grow, driven by an increase in advertising spends, a rise in literacy rates, and the growth of regional-language and specialty newspapers. The Indian newspaper industry is one of the largest in the world, with more than 74,000 newspapers in 22 languages, and a readership of 325 million. Fifty four newspapers are very popular with advertisers in India, accounting for 42 per cent of all advertising spends, the most for any medium.

MagazinesMagazines comprise around 19 per cent of the total publishing industry in India. They are viewed as a luxury product, and rely heavily on newsstand sales rather than subscription sales.

FilmsThe Indian film industry is the largest in the world, with more than 1,000 films produced every year, in more than 20 languages. With 3.3 billion tickets sold annually, India also has the highest number of theatre admissions. The Indian film market derives almost 90 per cent of its revenue from non-English language movies, largely dominated by Hindi films, followed by South Indian films and other regional films. The Indian film industry is projected to grow from $3.2 billion (Rs 16,000 crore) in 2010 to $5 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) by 2014 at a CAGR of 14.1 per cent.

Growth is expected from the expansion of multiplexes in smaller cities, investments by foreign studios in domestic and regional productions, the growing popularity of niche movies, and the emergence of digital and ancillary revenue streams.

Radio and musicThe radio and music industries contribute just 2.4 per cent of the total Indian M&E industry revenues. Both segments, however, provide highly popular forms of entertainment; FM radio reaches out to 30 per cent Indians, while the Indian youth are the second largest audience for paid digital music globally. The radio and music industries together generate around $445 million in 2010, and are projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.3 per cent to reach $844 million (Rs 4220 crore) by 2014.The third phase of radio license auctions, which is expected soon, will see radio networks expanding their reach to add around 700 radio stations across the country.

The News Paper Industry in India

The first major newspaper in India was The Bengal Gazette. It was started in 1780 under theBritish Rajby James Augustus Hickey. Other newspapers such asThe India Gazette,The Calcutta Gazette,The Madras Courier(1785),The Bombay Herald(1789) etc. soon followed. These newspapers carried news of the areas under the British rule they were the main source of news to the common people of India. This went on for 147 years.After that things started changing. Radio broadcasting was initiated in 1927 but became state responsibility only in 1930. In 1937 it was given the nameAll India Radioand since 1957 it has been calledAkashvani. Limited duration of television programming began in 1959 and complete broadcasting followed in 1965. Radio and television started grabbing the attention of people from then on. In post-independence era media had huge role to play towards the development of society in India. In 1947 when India attained independence, the country was facing many socio-political-economic challenges. Therefore, at that time medias role towards society was highly critical and challenging. The main goals set by the government for media to perform were to inform and educate the Indian population. During that period print media was flourishing as it contributed a lot in the freedom struggle. However, the reach of this medium was very limited because the literacy rate of India was very low. As opposed to this, boom came in broadcasting in 1980s when television made a grand entry into the media market. The medium was controlled by the government body, Doordarshan, unlike newspapers which have been owned by the private organizations. Since then media market has witnessed massive growth in its every sector.Inspite of television news media and internet news website, newspapers still remain most powerful medium of news in India. As per data available in government of India , the total number of registered newspapers and periodicals are 69,323. The most important characteristic of Newspaper industry is the significant start-up cost that is required for buildings, presses, establishing distribution channels and large editorial staff to develop original content on a daily basis. Building brand value and maintaining a large circulation volume therefore is crucial to recover these high fixed costs. While the rate of renewed subscription is usually high, gaining new subscribers gets difficult in tough competition scenarios.Advertising is a major source of revenue which directly depends on the health of the economy. Advertising also depends on Circulation, which is the second most important source of revenue and is based on the number of copies sold and subscription rate charged. As circulation drops, advertising revenue also falls. Thus a small fall in circulation can have a much higher impact on a newspaper company's total revenues. Circulation of Dailies in India increased from 5,91,29,000 in 2001 to 7,29,39,000 in 2003 to 7,86,89,000 in 2005. The key drivers for the growth of newspaper penetration in India are the expanding middle class and improving literacy rates. Internet penetration is also one of the important reasons why Indian newspaper industry has not yet come across stiff competition from this medium.According to a report, Indian print media can be expected to grow conservatively at around 9% over the next 4 to 5 years. However, the industry has been experiencing growing margin pressures due to increasing newsprint costs which are not yet being passed on to readers due to intense competition. While Indian newspapers are the cheapest in the world, industry experts opine that it may not be long that newspaper companies will increase their circulation charges and advertising rates to counter the increasing newsprint costs.It was in June 2002 that the National Democratic Alliance Government lifted the nearly 50-year-old ban on foreign investment in the print media. At that time the Union Cabinet permitted 26 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in news and current affairs publications and 74 per cent foreign investment in the non-news and non-current affairs journals, The Hindu (2009). The government permitted country-specific editions published by a local company, with a foreign partnership limit of 26 present, though local editions of foreign media were not allowed. June 2008 witnessed the launch of The International Herald Tribune as a branded world business section inside the Financial Chronicle. Deccan Chronicle Holdings, renowned for Deccan Chronicle, Indias fourth largest English daily, launched the Financial Chronicle in April 2008. The newspaper is published five days a week from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. The IHT launch coincided with that of the Mumbai edition on June 20. September 19, 2008 bears significance in Indian media history as it was on that day that the Union Indian Cabinet approved foreign news magazines to print local editions of their publications. Earlier the license was sanctioned to periodicals which covered scientific, technical and specialty based topics. Advertising The Indian media and entertainment industry is poised to touch Rs. 1,15,700 crore by2012, driven by increased advertising spend. The Indian media and entertainment industry is growing at a pace of 19% per annum. It is expected to touch Rs.1,157 billion by 2012,reports Mint (2010) . The English media forms only 15% of the total newspaper market and has seven times lesser readership than its Hindi counter parts. Despite the numbers, it claims more than half the share of total advertising pie of the print space, according to an industry estimate prepared by brokerage firm, Motilal Oswal print media report. The higher ad rates come into play in the greater revenue generation witnessed in English media. The perception that the purchasing power of the English newspaper reader is much higher than that of their Hindi newspaper counterparts is the reason for the higher ad rates. A rise in the ad rates of newspapers published in regional languages and Hindi is expected as advertisers are turning their attention to rural areas and small towns in search of generating more demand for their products and services. . According to the report, Hindi newspapers dominate the market with 40% stake while English newspapers constitute 15% of the market. Vernacular newspapers complete the equation with 35% of the remaining space. The major share of the total newspaper advertising revenue is brought in by English newspapers. Both vernacular and Hindi dailies may have higher readership but its the English newspapers which contribute 53% of the ad revenue. The advertising rates of English newspapers are nine times the rates of Hindi and nearly 13 times the rates of vernacular newspapers. Pricewaterhouse Coopers states that the steep difference in the share is partially due to the fact that most of the business newspapers (in which the ad rates are even higher than general English newspapers) have been mostly in English till now.PWC(2009)

The following table gives a list of the huge number of news papers printed in India.LanguageDailiesTri/bi-WeekliesFortni-Month-Quarte-AnnualsOther/Total

weekliesghtliesliesRliesPeriodicals

Hindi3418130127934042568710235837627527

English59442135896540151612251116310000

Assamese37491458115111285

Bengali12515707690861574292433244

Bodo214152-116

Dogri--2-13--6

Gujarati2201714103078818815673005

Kannada49365734191015684322610

Kashmiri--2-1---3

Konkani1-4262--15

Malayalam265921118610607918551883

Manipuri18-75117-553

Marathi553241991343842160142674122

Maithili2-1283-319

Nepali1026471818-8127

Oriya10732471403831145331032

Punjabi11615413117345431201070

Sanskrit5-962119-666

Sainthali----32-16

Sindhi13-41114011-3119

Tamil4094345433515115010412853

Telugu4055372340971412322168

Urdu703211443406626914213315

Bilingual132229705622040517632544560

Multilingual21516489368881854807

Others6115833214856113409

As expectedHindi languageleads when it comes to number of newspapers and periodicals with total of twenty seven thousand five hundred and twenty seven (27,527)registered newspapers and periodicalsThe following table gives the number of publications in each state. It can be seen that largest number of newspapers are sold in Uttar Pradesh.DailiesTri/bi-WeekliesFortni-Month-Quarter-AnnualOther Pe-Total

StateweekliesghtliesliesLiesriodicals

Andhra Pradesh627979552313911477843583

Arunachal Pradesh414-22--13

Assam68132027312330421534

Bihar38633658163262752331612

Chhatishgarh116127637832928552

Goa16-1815401015105

Gujarat2621414693199171088943191

Haryana15210455230308688321263

Himachal Pradesh15-7330623059224

Jammu & Kashmir1264287635113-16560

Jharkhand54-6729831712253

Karnataka6381277453913751629943603

Kerala26492352201282155361242325

Madhya Pradesh60582617245104115171084782

Maharashtra81749316872423696292593488363

Manipur5631812429511156

Meghalaya543471752478

Mizoram4514387266-4140

Nagaland7-9112--20

Orissa144428916246117913601312

Punjab15213516182450609461428

Rajasthan500221219160170515615764294

Sikkim9261112-379

Tamil Nadu429535674462155204301314015

Tripura2626210134-1118

Uttar Pradesh1230245909110718184922819110799

Uttarakhand15578161472256010361456

West Bengal20198358271289806503584375

HT Media Enriching and Empowering India

HT Media found its beginning in 1924 when its flagship newspaper, Hindustan Times was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. HT Media (BSE, NSE) has today grown to become one of India's largest media companies.

Produced by an editorial team known for its quality, innovation and integrity, Hindustan Times (English newspaper) and Hindustan (Hindi newspaper through a subsidiary Hindustan Media Ventures Limited),Hindustan Times is the choice for nearly 3.7 million readers across India, who turn to it daily for news, information, analysis and entertainment. Hindustan, the group's Hindi daily, continues to be the second-largest daily in the country with a total readership of 36.6 million, (based on Indian Readership Survey (IRS) for the first quarter (Q1) of 2011. Both dailies enjoy strong brand recognition among readers as well as advertisers.

In addition to Hindustan Times, HT Media also publishes a national business newspaper, Mint. Mint is a one-of-its-kind newspaper in the sense that the company has an exclusive agreement with the Wall Street Journal to publish Journal-branded news and information in India. Mint is today the second-largest business newspaper in India with presence in the key markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Pune, Kolkata and now Ahmedabad too.

HT Media has also made its foray into electronic media. Diversifying its ambit of operations, the company in a consulting partnership with Virgin Radio, has launched the FM radio channel - Fever 104. Currently available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, Fever 104 has established a strong presence as being one of the most vibrant channels on air. In a short span, the channel's rise has been meteoric considering its position in Mumbai and Bengaluru at No. 1 and in Delhi as the No. 2 station on the popularity charts.

Internet businesses of HT Media incorporated under Firefly e-ventures; operate leading web portalsHindustantimes.comandlivemint.comin the general and business news categories respectively. The company's job portalShine.comwhich has received high appreciation from consumers and industry for its innovative design and usability crossed7 million registrations.Desimartini.com-a platform to discover and express oneself on movies. The company also has an education portalwww.HTCampus.comaimed at students passing out of school and college to help them take the right decision about their higher education.

Financially, the Company was ahead of the industry in more ways than one. On a consolidated basis, its revenues grew by 25% to reach Rs. 1,815 Crore; EBITDA grew by 26% to reach Rs. 365 Crore, net profit grew by 33% to reach Rs. 181 Crore. Revenue growth was driven by a 22% increase in advertisement revenue within the print segment, which reached Rs. 1,395 Crore from Rs. 1,141 Crore in the previous fiscal and an impressive 63% increase in revenue from the Radio & Entertainment segment from Rs. 43 Crore in FY 10 to Rs. 70 Crore this year. This robust revenue growth has been partially offset by a significant increase in cost of raw material, reaching Rs. 628 Crore in FY 11 from Rs. 476 Crore in the previous year, due to higher circulation and newsprint prices.

History:'Hindustan Times'was founded in 1924 byMaster Sunder Singh Lyallpuri, founder-father of theAkali movementand theShiromaniAkali DalinPunjab.[4]S Mangal Singh Gill (Tesildar) and S. Chanchal Singh (Jandiala, Jalandhar) were made in charge of the newspaper. PanditMadan Mohan Malaviya andMaster Tara Singhwere among the members of the Managing Committee. The Managing Chairman and Chief Patron was Master Sunder Singh Lyallpuri.K. M. Panikkar was its first editor withDevdas Gandhi(son ofMahatma Gandhi) on the editor's panel. The opening ceremony was performed by Mahatma Gandhi on 26 September 1924. The first issue was published from Naya Bazar,Delhi(now Swami ShardaNandMarg). It contained writings and articles from C. F. Andrews, St. Nihal Singh, Maulana Mohammad Ali,C. R. Reddy(Dr. CattamanchiRamalinga Reddy), T. L. Vaswani, Ruchi Ram Sahni, Bernard Haton, HarinderNathChattopadhyaya, Dr SaifuddinKichlu and RubiWaston etc."SadarPanikkar launched the Hindustan Times as a serious nationalist newspaper. As an Oxonian, historian, and litterateur, Panikkar must have hoped to make his paper eventually more than an Akali sheet. He became the editor and funds flowed freely from activist Akali patrons. He exerted himself strenuously, but the paper made very little headway. In two years Panikkar could not take the print order any higher than 3,000. By then the Akali movement appeared to lose steam and funds dried up. The paper was saved from an untimely demise when PanditMadan Mohan Malaviya stepped in to realise his vision of a newspaper in Delhi." - TJS George, Lessons in Journalism, 2007, Viva Books, New Delhi.Malaviya raised Rs. 50,000 rupees to acquire the Hindustan Times along with the help of nationalist leaders LajpatRai and M. R. Jayakar and industrialist G. D. Birla, who paid most of the cash. Birla took full control of the paper in 1933. The paper continues to be owned by the Birla family.It has its roots in theIndian independence movementof the first half of the twentieth century and even faced the noted "Hindustan Times Contempt Case (AugustNovember, 1941)" atAllahabad High Court. It was edited at times by many important people in India, includingDevdas GandhiandKhushwant Singh. SanjoyNarayan, has been appointed the editor in chief of the paper and was due to take over in August 2008.Recentlythe editorial page has seen a major makeover and has been named "comment" to bring in more flexibility and some-what less seriousness to the page.HT Mumbai Edition:HT Mumbaihas an eight-page daily lifestyle supplement (in broadsheet format) calledHT Cafe. It has its education supplement called "HT Education" on Wednesdays. The paper also comes with a magazine on Sundays calledBrunch. The Mumbai edition is managed by MohitAhuja, an alumnus of NMIMS, Bombay. The resident editor in Mumbai isSoumya Bhattacharya.Ownership:The Delhi-based English dailyHindustan Timesis part of the KK 7Birla group and managed byShobhanaBhartia, daughter of the industrialistKK Birlaand granddaughter ofGD Birla. It is owned byHT Media Ltd. The KK Birla group owns a 69 per cent stake in HT Media, currently valued at Rs 834 crore. When ShobhanaBhartia joinedHindustan Timesin 1986, she was the first woman chief executive of a national newspaper. Shobhana has been nominated as a RajyaSabha MP from Congress Party.Along withHindustan Times,HT MediaownsDesimartini,Fever 104 FM, andMint (newspaper).

Hindustan Times Portfolio

HT City / HT CafThe entertainment & lifestyle supplement, every dayThe Hindustan Times reader wakes up to a bundle of fun, frolic, entertainment and masala everyday called HT City (in Delhi) and HT Caf (in Mumbai). One of the strongest drivers of readership, the daily entertainment supplement enjoys almost universal salience and readership.

The buzzy daily supplement has redefined lifestyle and entertainment space in newspapers, packing a punch with daily dose of Bollywood, Hollywood, Fashion, Relationship, City and Campus.

BrunchAn exclusive lifestyle magazine, every Sunday

The readers of HT wake up to Brunch every Sunday morning, which is one of best-loved offerings from its stable.

In a magazine format and clearly about the good life, it covers stories around food, fashion, shopping, travel, health & wellness, books & movie reviews, celebrity talk, lifestyle etc. One of the biggest draws of Brunch is the bouquet of columns by prominent journalists like VirSanghvi (food & travel), Sanjoy Narayan (music) and Rajiv Makhni (technology).This universally appealing brand has the core target group vested in upwardly mobile young families, looking for enhancing their lifestyle quotient.

HT EstatesReal Estate supplement, every Saturday

HT Estates as a supplement partners and corroborates the readers with information that helps them buy or sell their properties. This supplement comes with the newspaper every Saturday.

The supplement offers countless options on property buying and selling. Along with that the supplement also enlightens both the buyers and sellers on legal aspects of realty transactions. Specifically for buyers the supplement offers array of information on realty trends, loan rates, etc.

Shine JobsCareer supplement, every Tuesday

Shine Jobs, with its unique relationship with Shine.com, is the only print career supplement which offers both online and print recruitment under one umbrella and one brand.

This gives candidates and employers the opportunity to effectively reach each other across both platforms. Shine Jobs was re-launched with a brand new look and promise of hundreds of jobs for its readers. It now carries numerous jobs from top companies in the country, along with the best jobs available on Shine.com, across managerial levels, industries and cities. It also offers valuable information on overall career development, interview tips, HR trends, hot hiring sectors and many more useful career-related topics. Shine Jobs is a must-read for all those on the look-out for the next best career opportunity.

HT EducationEducation Supplement, every Wednesday (earlier known as HT Horizons)

HT Education offers the much needed guidance and mentorship to the students, which really helps them in choosing the best in education leading to a great career.

HT Education is a supplement dedicated to serving the needs of not only student community from 10th to post graduates, but also the parents who are concerned about their childs future. The supplement is a source of comprehensive info around career options, admission and scholarship information, college profiles, guidance and expert counseling. Its a one-stop guide to the students to prepare for their most exciting phase in life

HT LiveA peek around the corner is what Live offers to its readers - a supplement that caters to the readers quest for local news. This supplement has dedicated 8 editions for 8 zones in Delhi and appears once a week in every zone.

The supplement highlights the hits and misses on infrastructural development and lifestyle centered on neighborhoods. It offers a bag full of interesting local news and local advertising which helps readers get immediate assistance on their requirements.Get a clear picture with HT Education.

Mint-Business Newspaper

Mint, a business paper from Hindustan Times in association with The Wall Street Journal, was launched in 2007 with the premise of bringing Clarity in Business News, a need strongly articulated by business news readers in the country.

Mint aims to demystify complex business issues and provide unmatched clarity and depth in its coverage. Whether it is the refreshing new Berliner format, the design by an internationally acclaimed designer, the unique weekend magazine Lounge or our association with The Wall Street Journal, Mint has features that no other business paper in the country has.

The numbers bear testimony to the high acceptability and strong bond that Mint has with its readers. According to the Indian Readership Survey (IRS Q1, 2011), 222,000 readers make Mint a strong No. 2 player. Mint has a 27% readership share in the key markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. With editions in Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Pune as well, Mint reaches the whos who of corporate India nationally.

Global praise and recognition has been forthcoming for Mint. According to Fortune magazine, Minthas raised Indias standards of business journalism and (has a) mix of market news, corporate profiles, and lifestyle features. Mint won Gold in the special coverage category at the IFRA 9th Annual Asia Media Awards 2010. Mint was also voted Indias No. 1 Media Brand in 2009 by advertisers.

Mint Portfolio

Mint LoungeLounge is the weekend edition of Mint. Every Saturday, Lounge presents a visually engaging look at the "Business of Life". With articles on Travel, Gadgets, Fashion, Books, Culture, Parenting and Food, the editors and columnists of Lounge bring the perfect work-life balance to the week.

Mint MoneyMint Money is a daily section on Markets & Personal Finance that comes inside Mint. Through its researched and analysed content, Mint Money helps its readers develop an understanding of how various financial products and markets work. It provides clear and credible coverage across the entire gamut of investment products Equities, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Real Estate and Insurance, which helps its readers become smart money managers.Consumers are seeking to bridge the gap between information and understanding so that they can take the right calls in todays changing market scenario. With its clear and analysed content, Mint Money seeks to aid the consumer in bridging this gap.

Mint IndulgeMint Indulge is the Luxury and Lifestyle quarterly publication.A complimentary read for Mints readers across India, Mint Indulge focuses on the passions & indulgences of India's top business leaders and serve as their best buying guide for the season. Mint Indulge showcases the most aspirational international brands which look at India as a promising market to drive the next growth wave for them.

'Mint' The Wall Street Journal's Exclusive Partner Publication in India - The Wall Street Journal Joins Forces With HT Media to Bring Global Business News to Indian Readers and International Business Travelers.

Design of theMintnewspaperThe design of theMintnewspaper is geared towards presenting business and financial information in a compact format. The newspaper was initially designed byMario Garcia, who has also been associated with the re-design of theWall Street Journal. Mint liberally uses info graphics to tell stories and present data when compared with other dailies, publishing almost one a day and sometimes several.It is India's first newspaper to be published in theBerliner format.Culture and ContentMint is the business daily from the stable of HT Media, which seeks to compete with the Economic Times,Business Standard,Business Lineand The Financial Express (India). Although it is a daily newspaper (except on Sundays), Mint doesn't think of itself as a newspaper of record, choosing instead to focus on the bigger stories of the day, served along with analysis and lifestyle pieces. Some media critics have called Mint a 'daily magazine' because of this choice of presentation.

StructureOn the editorial side, Mint is organized into various teams based on reporting subject matter. Topic editors usually decide on the composition of stories for the next day's edition in a news conference held before the paper goes into the final stages of production. There are also small teams that focus on strategy, marketing, advertising and other aspects of publishing the paper and its ancillary offerings. Mint also houses technicians who work exclusively on HT Media's digital media projects, including apps for mobiles and tablets featuring Mint and other publications from HT Media. The newsroom and management follows a relatively 'flat' structure, unlike in other divisions of HT Media.

Mint and Hindustan Times Subscription Corporate drive in MumbaiAbout MINT -Refreshing Clarity in Business News:MINT the Business Daily Paper from Hindustan Times Media Limited. A clear breakaway from conventional reportage, Mint is the product of an exclusive partnership betweenHT Media LtdandThe Wall Street Journal.Post launch in 2007, MINT has quickly become theNo 2business daily in the country. MINT prides itself on reaching the premier audience & plan to continue doing the same with potential readers like you. Also, its a proud moment for MINT, having LaunchedMint Asiain Singapore from April 2013.

Key Achievements: Pan-India publication with presence in 9 key markets of India - Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. 28% readership share in key markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata & Chennai. Fastest growing business paper with over 2,60,000+ readers & still growing (IRS Reports). 4 out of 5 Mint readers do not read another business paper, making Mint a critical reach vehicle for the top end audience. Fortune magazine credits Mint with changing the way Journalism is done in India.MINT as your Business paper: TheBerliner size, refreshing printing & easy language just adds to the pleasure of reading financial news. Get yourself updated with the Current Affairs in the Financial & Political arena of the country MINT Leisure section can be used a perfect weekend planner MINT Money Provides deep insights on the Stock Market & other financial products, from its News to its Performance. Get updated with the World financial news withThe Wall Street Journalsection MINT Lounge the weekend magazine, gives information about Entertainment/ Travel/ Health/ Lifestyle/ Technology The strong MINT Editorial Team gives you a clear & unbiased view on the current happenings of our Financial sector The investment expert gives you guidance on Money Management. MINT Indulge(separately subscribed) that comes monthly/bi-monthly, gives insights on the various Luxury Brands/ Products across the globe.

Mint subscription costCover priceAnnual cover priceYou pay(offer)You save

Monday-Friday Rs 4/-Saturday Rs 10/-1564/-899/-665/-

Subscription business model for Mint

Thesubscription business modelis abusiness modelwhere a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered bymagazinesand newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites.Rather than selling products individually, a subscription sells periodic (monthly or yearly or seasonal) use or access to aproductorservice, a one-time sale of a product can become a recurring sale and can buildbrand loyalty. It is used for anything where a user is tracked in both a subscribed andunsubscribedstatus.

Types of Subscription for Mint

Individual Subscription: A subscription for a fixed set of goods or services, such as one copy of each issue for an individual of a newspaper or magazine for a definite period of time. The payment given by the individual himself where only cheque is accepted.

Bulk Subscription: A bulk subscription of more than 20 copies of same newspaper daily in a corporate office or any organisation for a definite period of time. The payment given by the company or the organisation through cheque for which the subscription has been booked.

Multiple Subscriptions: Subscription of newspaper from 2 to 20 copies daily in a company or any organisation for a definite period of time. The payment given by the company or the organisation through cheque for which the subscription has been booked. Also at the same time for multiple booking the company has to give the names of the reader on the letterhead for whom the subscription has been taken.

Subscription through conducting an activity in the corporate: By taking the permition of the company the mint corporate sales team conducts an activity in the common area of the offices and displays its products (newspapers) in a small kiosk. Then the employees who are interested for the subscription will take it individually by making the payment through cheque.

DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF MINT

Effects on Vendors

Businesses benefit because they are assured a predictable and constant revenue stream from subscribed individuals for the duration of the subscriber's agreement. Not only does this greatly reduce uncertainty and the riskiness of the enterprise, but it often provides payment in advance (as with magazines, Newspapers), while allowing customers to become greatly attached to using the service and, therefore, more likely to extend by signing an agreement for the next period close to when the current agreement expires.

Effects on the Reader

Consumers may find subscriptions convenient if they believe that they will buy a product on a regular basis and that they might save money. For repeated delivery of the product or service, the customer also saves time. Subscription pricing can make it easier to pay for expensive items, since it can often be paid for over a period of time and thus can make the product seem more affordable. On the other hand, most newspaper and magazine-type subscriptions are paid up front, and this might actually prevent some customers from signing up.

Objective of the Study

Each and every journey has its own destination. Without destination there is no means of journey. Similarly, every research has some prefixed objectives. Every steps taken by the researcher during research period is always directly or indirectly towards the objectives. Objective work is like a pivot around which the every steps of the research is moving. So any research study must clearly state the issues being investigated. Therefore, as far as my topic Study of Awareness About Mint Among Various Segments with Reference to Thane Region At HT Media is concerned the major research objective can be cited as follows:-

1.2.1.Primary objectives:

1) To analyze the segmentation, targeting and positioning of Mint Business Daily Newspaper

2) To do the comparative analysis of various financial newspapers.

3) To study the Brand preference among Business and Financial newspaper

1.2.2.Secondary objective:

1) To create awareness among corporate world for the financial newspaper.

2) To develop the market of Mint Business Daily Newspaper in Mumbai region

Limitations

1. Mint has no TV advertisements, so the reach to the customers is very slow1. The cost factor is another limitation for mint. The annual subscription costs Rs.899 where as economic times offers the same at Rs. 599 3. The subscription process for mint is very lengthy. It takes 21 days to start the subscription once the cheque is cleared4. Many times the coupons do not reach the customer5. Only one subscription can be done by one person

Research Methodology

Research methodology is the process of the systematic gathering, recording and analysis of data collected by various techniques to access the response and accordingly prepare a report based on which reader opinion toward products can be analyzed.

Following order of steps to be taken provide useful guidelines regarding the research process.

Research Design Sampling Data Collection

Methods of Data collection:-There are two methods of data collection1) Primary data2) Secondary data

Primary data : Primary data was collected from the clients that I visitedSurvey Process:For the research, customers visited were Companies, Institutes, and C.A. were asked questions which are short and specific and easily understandable. Data was also collected mainly from official sites, Published articles, research works.Survey and Data interpretation

Data Analysis and Data InterpretationNewspaper readership (general)

sources of business news:

The major source of financial news among the respondents was the internet. TV and magazine had an equal share. Whereas business newspapers had the least quota.

Sources of Business NewsT V News channelBusiness NewspaperMagazinesOnlineOther Resources

Frequency &Percentage30%20%12%33%55%

Frequency of access to business news:

Frequency of access to business newsDailyWeeklyMonthlyFortnightly

45%33%18%4%

When it comes to frequency of access to the business news 75% of the respondents had daily access to business news whereas only 25% had weekly access.

Table no:5Source of Newspaper

Awareness about mint news paper

Awareness of Mint NewspaperAware Not aware

Frequency

28%72%

A major chunk of respondents had no awareness about mint news paper. whereas only 28% knew about mint. This shows that the penetration of mint news paper in very weak.

Mint Readers

Subscription of Mint

Findings1. The penetration of mint newspaper in the market is very low since the competition in the market is severe2. Numerous sources for financial news is available in the market. The internet being the most widely used. Mint also has a digital app available but people are not aware of it.3. Many people like to read the financial news daily. Thus opening a potential market for mint4. Most of the corporate offices, colleges and banks have their source of newspaper from the annual subscription .5. In some regions the awareness about mint newspaper is nil.6. Times of India is the most preferred newspaper in the general category.

Recommendations

1. Mint Business Daily Newspaper must approach the headquarters of each Institutions, Offices, Banks and Colleges so as to develop the market

2. The gap between the ordering of Subscription by the customer and issuance of subscription should be reduced. As of now a customer has to wait maximum for 21 days, this should be reduced down to maximum of 10 days.

3. Mint Business Daily Newspaper must start the Sunday Edition with a price slightly lower than competitors.

4. Mint Business Daily Newspaper must first focus on retaining the existing customer base, and then on acquiring new customer.

5. Mint Business Daily Newspaper must promote its offering during Business functions , National Conferences, Trade Fair, Business School Events, Induction Program, MBA coaching centers to catch the target as early as possible in their life stage.

6. Mint Business Daily Newspaper must aggressively reinforce its proposition of being Straight to the point

ConclusionFrom this project I have learnt a lot that has overall enhanced my knowledge and has also helped me implement whatever I have studied into a real life situation. The first year was all about marketing what it is all about but what I have learnt in these 2 months probably I wouldnt have learnt in my books. It was a real life experience which helped me gain a clear cut understanding about sales.Sales is a business function that is integral to any business. No doubt we have got to learn more about the newspaper industry and also about newspapers specifically the Hindustan times and mint. We have also learnt how the supply chain of the newspapers works. The form given to the customers includes the executive copy. The executive copy is our copy which is to be handed over to the office. The executive copy consists of all the details that is to be filled by the subscriber including their address, cheque number bank account number. Once the implementation card is handed over to the vendor, the vendor hands it over to Hindustan times and subsequently the supply of the newspaper starts to the respective person or the company after all the formalities are fulfilled.Another thing that I have learned is that sales is not an easy job, it requires lot of hard work and skills. It requires good knowledge about your product as well as good communication skills to be in position to communicate the product well to the opposite party so that they are happy with the product and are willing to buy it. Through the meetings that were conducted by our manager I also learnt about the different zones. They helped us to tackle some problems related to customers. Overall it was an amazing learning experience and a task which involved lot of travelling and communication with different corporate and organizations.

Bibliography

WEB

www.livemint.com

www.tribuneindia.com

www.allindianewspaper.com

www.economictimes.com

www.Thehindubusinessline.com

www.thefinancialexpress.com

www.livemint.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

www.htmedia.in/brandPage_hindustan.aspx?Page=Page-HTMedia-mint www.slideshare.net/mdmangukiya/indian-newspaper-industry www.htmedia.in/Section.aspx?Page=Page-HTMedia-AboutUs

Appendix

Mint survey form

Name:.. Age:.Name of organization:. Dept designation.Contact details : mob: tell (off) email ID:..Workpalce location:. Res location:.

1. What is your sources of business news?Sr nosourcesTick whichever applicable

1Tv news channel

2Business newspaper

3Magazines

4Online

5Other sources

2. Financial papers that you use?Sr noPapersTick whichever applicable

1Economic times

2Business Standard

3Financial express

4Hindu Business Line

5Others

3. How frequently do you access business news?Daily. Weekly fortnightly.. Monthly.

4. How do you source the newspaper?Purchase from stall. Monthly billing by vendor. Annual subscription..

5. Are you aware about mint business newspaper?Yes No

6. Are you a mint reader?Yes No

7. Would you like to subscribe mint? Yes No May be.